In addition to creating new tax revenue to help reduce the federal deficits, privatizing pot would create a large reduction in other areas of government spending.

Reduced policing costs.

In Canada, our government spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year on shutting down grow operations and tracking suspected drug dealers, creating a constant need for "new police" which often eat up provincial and municipal budgets. Privatizing pot would put many dealers out of business and allow policing resources to be focused on higher priority crimes.

Reduced court and prison costs.

For each drug dealer that is arrested, taxpayers must foot thousands of dollars in court fees, plus each convicted seller costs taxpayers $100,000 a year to keep in prison. Drug enforcement is the largest single expense on the courts and the prisons, and privatizing pot could save hundreds of millions of dollars that could be spent on job creation, health or education.

Reduced property crime and insurance costs.

Drug dealers often allow those with substance abuse problems to trade stolen property for drugs, pushing up costs of car and house insurance to all taxpayers, and particularly those in urban areas with high crime rates. Privatizing pot would reduce the market for stolen goods, as private stores would not accept "collateral" for sales and drug users would have to find legitimate ways to pay for their habits.

Reduced pharmaceutical costs.

As pot is a proven pain killer in addition to recreational substance, many seniors and those with painful ailments would find it easier to avoid expensive, taxpayer funded synthetic drugs, reducing billions in healthcare premiums that taxpayers currently pay for. In the United States, pharmaceutical lobbyist are some of the largest donors to anti-pot politicians, proving that many pharmaceutical companies benefit from keeping pot as a prohibited substance.